Copton Pumping Windmill

Copton Windmill
Origin
Grid reference	TR 014 596
Operator(s)	Faversham Water Company
Year built	1863
Information
Purpose	Water pumping
Type	Tower mill
Storeys	Three storeys
Number of sails	Four
Type of sails	Patent sails
Windshaft	Cast iron
Winding	Fantail
Fantail blades	Six blades
Type of pump	Plunger

Copton Mill is a tower mill in Copton, Faversham, Kent, England that was built in 1863^[1] to pump water for Faversham Water Company's waterworks.^[2] It is just south of junction 6 of the M2 motorway.

History

Copton Mill was built by the millwrights Spray and Harmer in 1863.^[1] The mill was marked on the 1858-72 and 1903-10 Ordnance Survey maps. It was worked by wind until 1930, when the cap and sails were removed and replaced with a 6,000 imperial gallons (27,000 l) water tank.^[1]

Owners

• Faversham Water Company
• Mid Kent Water Company
• Southern Water

Description

For a description of the machinery, see Mill machinery.

Copton Mill is a three storey brick tower mill which formerly had a Kentish style cap. It had four patent sails^[2] 37 feet (11.28 m) long and 5 feet (1.52 m) wide^[3] carried on a cast iron windshaft. The mill was winded by a fantail. It was rated at 15 horsepower (11 kW) and could pump 10,000 imperial gallons (45,000 l) of water per hour.^[2] An oil engine was used as auxiliary power.^[3]

See also

• Wikipedia books: Windmills in Kent

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} West, Jenny (1973). The Windmills of Kent. London: Charles Skilton Ltd.. pp. p91. SBN 284-98534-1. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Coles Finch, William (1933). Watermills and Windmills. London: C W Daniel Company. pp. p203. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Bygone Kent (Rainham: Meresborough Books) Volume 3 Number 11: p670–675. November 1981. 

External links

• Windmill World page on the mill.

Coordinates: 51°17′58″N 0°53′10″E / 51.29944°N 0.88611°E / 51.29944; 0.88611